Cooperatively-developed Software

The software.coop Development Promise

In 2002, software.coop was founded by people who believe that free
software and cooperative development offers the world the best
opportunity for sustainable computing, with users and developers
working as equals with few barriers between them.

As a tech worker cooperative, we are both a software company and a
free software development community. We do not speak for other
communities, but we are a social enterprise and part of a wider third
sector.

We promise that software we develop will be
cooperatively-developed software, except for exceptional cases where we
contract not to
release it.

Why Do Open Data and Free
Software (FOSS) Make Sense for Co-ops?

"Co-operatives are based
on
the values
of self-help, self-responsibility, democracy, equality, equity and solidarity.
In the tradition of their founders, co-operative members believe in the
ethical values of honesty, openness, social responsibility and caring for
others."

Self-help and self-responsibility

require the freedom to
use the resource, for any purpose, without begging its copyright holder for
each bit of permission;

democracy and equity

require the
freedom to adapt the resource to your needs and control what you have added to
the software;

equality, solidarity, social responsibility and caring
for others

means that we need the freedom to share our improvements
with everyone on the same terms (general public licensing);

honesty
and openness

are delivered by us sharing the source code openly,
instead of keeping it as a black box. All users should have the freedom to
study the code and check it.

Clearly,
Free Software
is a very good example of cooperative values.
Its users have:

freedom to use it;

freedom to study it;

freedom
to
share it; and

freedom to adapt it.

Our belief in free software being the right software for cooperatives
is further strengthened by our principles:

open and voluntary membership;

democratic member
control;

member economic participation;

autonomy and
independence;

education, training and
information;

cooperation
among cooperatives; and

concern for community.

The freedom to be in control of your own computing
power is essential to give autonomy and independence,
to build communities and to develop a sustainable
information infrastructure.
It's also very helpful in enabling democratic control,
cooperation and education.